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Key West - Pier House, Ocean Key or Hyatt

Hello, I am planning to travel to Key West for the first time in early October. I have narrowed it down to these 3 resorts which are all next door to each other, but they seem so similar I cannot decide which is better. I am looking for a room with a great ocean view with a private balcony. I want to use the spa for a massage, prefer a pool area with a bar/restaurant. A beach is not necessary. Does anyone have experience at these hotels?

Pier House is low rise and has a small beach area and has an "islandy feel" a bit more private...

Ocean Key does offer the higher level views and you can get a balcony, but they aren't very private... The pool at Ocean Key is very exposed to the walk by tourists in a very busy area... there is a tiki bar near the pool...

the Hyatt is truly a chain resort with little of the Key West character... it is in a good location for sunset celebration but it is a very busy area...

It is difficult to guess your priorities, but of the three, the Ocean Key would be my recommendation...

The better choice for spa, ocean view, and private balconies is the Reach or Casa Marina at the South end of the Island... they are Waldorf Astoria properties... plus they are 20 minute walks from the busy end of Duval Street... have fun!

There are always people around, both on the balconies and below on the pier... the tiki bar is on the main pier and is open to the public... there are dozens of tables on the pier and the tiki bar services the pier...

... the pool is for guests only, but very visible by those wandering by... you should be warned that the cruise ships dock and unload in front of the Ocean Key, but they are required to depart before sunset...

There is also a post on this site "Key West Hotels with Ocean Views" that covers some of your concerns... it also shows the cruise ships docked in front... have a look

I have only stayed at the Hyatt, and I have to admit I loved it. I am not really a fan of chains, but this was really nice, with a really classy casual beach vibe. We parked our car and did not get back in it until we left town.

We've stayed at the Hyatt several times and thoroughly enjoyed it. The pool area has been remodeled in the past few years and is lovely, but like most hotel beaches, its beach is tiny.

It's been several years since we stayed at Ocean Key, and at that time it was great. We were upgraded to a Junior Suite, that had a full kitchen and a really big living room area. If you choose it, I'd ask for an oceanfront room rather than an ocean view one. We got the ocean view and most of the view was of Mallory Square and not much of the water.

In my opinion, the beach at the Pier House is nicer, in fact much nicer than the Hyatt. It's a lot bigger, has a relatively large sandy area (especially for Key West) and a nice swimming area. They've changed around their restaurants since they changed hands, and I'm not sure if they have one that's open for lunch anymore, so if that's important you might want to check into it. I know they have one that's open for dinner.